A new year, a new attitude

Friday

Jan 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

January is here and I want to start over with a fresh new attitude.

Carolyn Crow

January is here and I want to start over with a fresh new attitude; I will renew my membership at the gym; I will lose at least 15 lbs. in conjunction with exercising more and eating healthier. I will quit old habits and I will manage my finances more wisely. I can probably guess that this sounds all too familiar to most of you. However, when the New Year rings in, many start out with tremendous enthusiasm to make New Year’s Resolutions, only to find by mid-February that their attempts end up becoming another flop. Ultimately, it takes will-power and discipline to hold true to commitments, and after many years of failure I figured out that it was much easier to approach the things that I wanted to change, one day at a time. Moreover, it is important to set goals and it is a good thing to consider making improvements, but vast majority of New Year’s Resolutions are in relations to physical things. However, this should not be. Timothy makes it clear in 1Timothy 4:8, that we should keep exercise in perspective, but He also relays a greater message. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Unfortunately, in most instances our spiritual lives falls to the bottom of the “New Year’s Improvement List”, or it get left off altogether. However, I am very grateful that we serve a loving God who waits patiently for us. Keep in mind that it’s not about committing to whether we will do this or that, but it’s about asking the Lord to help us daily that we may draw closer to Him. This way our focus will remain on the things of Heaven. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”I realize it is easier said than done, but strive to make Christ your main focus this year. After all, if your New Year’s Resolutions do not get accomplished, remember we have the assurance of one thing, that in Him we have new life. Happy New Year!